As the excitement ramps up for the upcoming release of "Grand Theft Auto IV," one has to wonder at the insanity of the Take-Two vs. Electronic Arts debacle. The plot surrounding the affair seems almost crazy enough to be straight from the GTA franchise itself.

A week from Tuesday, "Grand Theft Auto IV" hits the stores, and it will be one of the biggest pop culture events of the year. Analysts predict it will sell roughly six million copies in the first week, smashing "Halo 3"'s current sales record, and potentially becoming the biggest entertainment release in history (unseating "Pirates of the Caribbean 3," which currently holds the record at $404 million in the first week).

Part of the reason in-game advertising is seen as a medium of interest is because it provides potential access to a hard to reach demographic: the core gamer. However, the games for which in-game advertising fits appropriately are few. There are many games that take place in fantasy or sci-fi worlds, where a contemporary advertisement just doesn't work. How then, to reach the gamers that play these games? There are two places that offer a decent chance of reach. Game news and review sites are a surefire destination for core gamers, and have partnered well with advertising. The other is ...